Harford County, an overwhelmingly white Maryland county, has officially banned all school field trips to Baltimore because of safety concerns for their students.
Jillian Lader, the spokeswoman for Harford schools said that the ban was based on “information we received from various law enforcement agencies… following the riots and relating to potential issues that may occur during the first and subsequent trials.”
Although several counties suspended trips to Baltimore at the time of the unrest in April, but many have reopened trips, while Harford is the last to do so.
“When I heard about this continuing ban on school travel to Baltimore, I was, frankly, totally flummoxed. It seems so outrageous as to be actually sad,” said Brooke Lierman, a Maryland delegate who represents Baltimore.
The ban was modified, however, so that students competing in sporting events in Baltimore would still be allowed to participate, with the school citing “more controlled environments” that may have “playoff implications.”
Sad day when suburban Harford County schools (@HCPSchools) peddle myth that Baltimore is too dangerous to visit https://t.co/UmJ27getGM
— Joshua Clark Davis (@JoshClarkDavis) February 6, 2016